Arson Destroys 100-Year-Old Quaker Lake Home

SILVER LAKE TOWNSHIP – A weekend fire in Susquehanna County is a case of arson, according to state police. The blaze destroyed a home that has stood for a century.

Family and friends sifted and scoured through the singed rubble just days after this home burned to the ground along Quaker Lake in Susquehanna County.

Owner Kelly Zayac Draper says her family was crushed when they got the call.

“It was horrible, just horrible, the worst thing that we ever could have imagined,” said Zayac Draper.

Silver Lake Township Police and fire marshals now say this is a case of arson, an arson that’s destroyed one of the first homes built here along the lake about 100 years ago.

“Just complete confusion and just disbelief, but we’re very, very fortunate we have such an incredible community of Quaker Lake Family,” said Zayac Draper.

Rachel Polman of Brackney and her mother are just some of those lending a hand to sift through the rubble, salvaging small treasures that mean so much.

“I was just furious, just, you don’t do this to one of our family members and not expect us to get mad about it,” said Polman.

Now police in Silver Lake Township are asking everyone to keep their eyes and ears open to, hopefully, help them find just who’s responsible for this arson.

“It’s very shocking to us. I’ve been here for almost 14 years and I haven’t seen any arson in this area since the time that I’ve been employed with Silver Lake,” said Silver Lake Township Police Chief Timothy Burgh.

And just a half mile away another fire destroyed a home last December. Police say they’re looking into the possibility that the two fires are related.

Owners say they’ll find the strength to fix this and find answers.

“We’ll rebuild. We’re just trying to salvage what we can and keep our heads in the game so to speak and find out who did this and why,” said Zayac Draper.

If you know anything about this arson, Silver Lake Township Police ask that you give them a call 570-278-6818.